Characterization of an Inherited Neurologic Syndrome in Toyger Cats with Forebrain Commissural Malformations, Ventriculomegaly and Interhemispheric Cysts.

BackgroundIn children, frequent congenital malformations with concomitant agenesis of the corpus callosum are diagnosed by neuroimaging in association with other cerebral malformations, including interhemispheric cysts and ventriculomegaly. Similar studies providing full characterization of brain defects by in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and correlations with the pertinent anatomic pathologic examinations are absent in veterinary medicine.Hypothesis/objectivesCongenital brain defects underlie the neurologic signs observed in Toyger cats selectively bred for a short ear phenotype.AnimalsUsing proper pedigree analysis and genetic evaluations, 20 related Oriental-derived crossbred Toyger cats were evaluated. Seven clinically healthy (carrier) cats and 13 clinically affected cats that had neurologic signs, short ear phenotype and concomitant complex brain anomalies were studied.MethodsComplete physical and neurologic examinations and MRI were performed in all clinically healthy and affected cats. Postmortem and histopathologic examinations were performed in 8 affected cats and 5 healthy cats.ResultsNeurologic and MRI investigations confirmed 13 clinically affected cats with structural brain abnormalities. Ventriculomegaly with frequent concomitant supratentorial interhemispheric, communicating ventricular type-1b cysts and multiple midline and callosal malformations were detected in all cats displaying neurologic signs. Genetic analysis confirmed autosomal recessive mode of inheritance with no chromosomal abnormalities.Conclusions and clinical importanceNeuroanatomic dissections and histopathology were helpful for evaluation of abnormalities in midline brain structures, and for the full characterization of cysts. However, MRI was more sensitive for detection of small cysts. In this feline model, MRI diagnosis had extremely good correlation with pathologic abnormalities noted in the subset of animals that were examined by both modalities

Case Report : Neuroblastoma-Like Schwannoma in a Domestic Short-Haired Cat

An axillary mass was detected in a 6-year-old, neutered, male, domestic short-haired cat during a wellness exam. Gross examination following surgical removal revealed a discrete, deep subcutaneous, discoid mass that was between 0.5- and 0.7-cm-in-diameter and diffusely firm and white. Histologically, the mass was well-demarcated, partially encapsulated, and expanded the panniculus carnosus. It was composed of tightly packed, giant rosettes of radially arranged fusiform cells stacked in one to 10 layers with peripherally palisading nuclei and with centrally oriented, fibrillary, cytoplasmic processes, and collagenous fibers. Laminin immunoreactivity and ultrastructural examination highlighted a continuous basal lamina outside the plasma membrane of each neoplastic cell. Neoplastic cells were immunoreactive for GFAP, S100, periaxin, and Sox-10 and were immunonegative for synaptophysin, smooth muscle actin, and pancytokeratin. Collective findings were consistent with a diagnosis of neuroblastoma-like schwannoma. This is the first veterinary report of this rare variant of benign schwannoma

Un nuevo medidor de flujo de alta presión para la estimación de la resistencia hidráulica en brotes completos de plantas leñosas

A new high-pressure flowmeter has been developed and used to estimate hydraulic resistance in whole shoots of woody plants. It is based on the perfusion of pressurized water in the plant, and the simultaneous measurement of water flow (introduced volume of water per unit of time). This device was first calibrated, and then used to estimate the hydraulic resistance of stems and leaves in 1-yr seedlings of broadleaf Quercus species (Q. rubra, Q. cerris, Q. velutina, Q. petraea, Q. frainetto, Q. pyrenaica). The measured values are reliable and similar to those reported in the literature, but taking into account that this study dealt with seedlings. We have found significant differences between species and groups of species according to their hydraulic resistance values for stems and leaves. Those species whose seedlings showed lower leaf hydraulic resistance values can rehydrate their leaves more quickly and survive in environments with certain water stress (e.g., Q. pyrenaica). The high leaf hydraulic resistance of other species indicate that they can not resist these levels of water stress (e.g, Q. rubra). This study provided new insight to the importance of leaf hydraulic resistance as an adaptative trait to face water stress. Hydraulic resistance variability must be studied in depth as an additional mechanism within a wide array of morphological and ecophysiological adaptations that provide tree species a greater drought tolerance.Se ha desarrollado y utilizado un nuevo medidor de flujo de alta presión para plantas leñosas. Su principio de funcionamiento consiste en perfundir agua a presión a través de la planta y, simultáneamente, medir el flujo del líquido (volumen de agua introducida en la planta por unidad de tiempo). Este dispositivo ha sido primero calibrado y después empleado para estimar la resistencia hidráulica de tallos y hojas de plántulas de especies no esclerófilas del género Quercus (Q. rubra, Q. cerris, Q. velutina, Q. petraea, Q. frainetto, Q. pyrenaica). Los valores obtenidos son fiables y comparables a los de la literatura pero teniendo en cuenta que se han estudiado plántulas. Se han encontrado diferencias significativas entre especies y grupos de especies en cuanto a la resistencia hidráulica de hojas y tallos. Las especies cuyas plántulas muestran menor resistencia hidráulica de hojas pueden rehidratarlas de forma más rápida y así sobrevivir en medios con cierto estrés hídrico como los mediterráneos (p. ej. Q. pyrenaica). La elevada resistencia hidráulica de las hojas de otras especies indica que éstas no podrán soportar este estrés hídrico (p. ej. Q. rubra). Se ha puesto de manifiesto la importancia de la resistencia hidráulica foliar como adaptación frente al estrés hídrico. Debe profundizarse en el estudio de la variabilidad de la resistencia hidráulica como un mecanismo adicional dentro del amplio conjunto de adaptaciones morfológicas y ecofisiológicas que confieren a las especies arbóreas mayor tolerancia frente a la sequía

Effects of sardine-enriched diet on metabolic control, inflammation and gut microbiota in drug-naïve patients with type 2 diabetes: a pilot randomized trial

Nutrition therapy is the cornerstone of treating diabetes mellitus. The inclusion of fish (particularly oily fish) at least two times per week is recommended by current international dietary guidelines for type 2 diabetes. In contrast to a large number of human studies examining the effects of oily fish on different cardiovascular risk factors, little research on this topic is available in patients with type 2 diabetes. The aims of this pilot study were to investigate the effects of a sardine-enriched diet on metabolic control, adiponectin, inflammatory markers, erythrocyte membrane fatty acid (EMFA) composition, and gut microbiota in drug-naïve patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: 35 drug-naïve patients with type 2 diabetes were randomized to follow either a type 2 diabetes standard diet (control group: CG), or a standard diet enriched with 100 g of sardines 5 days a week (sardine group: SG) for 6 months. Anthropometric, dietary information, fasting glycated hemoglobin, glucose, insulin, adiponectin, inflammatory markers, EMFA and specific bacterial strains were determined before and after intervention. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in glycemic control between groups at the end of the study. Both groups decreased plasma insulin (SG: -35.3%, P = 0.01, CG: -22.6%, P = 0.02) and homeostasis model of assessment--insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (SG: -39.2%, P = 0.007, CG: -21.8%, P = 0.04) at 6-months from baseline. However only SG increased adiponectin in plasma compared to baseline level (+40.7%, P = 0.04). The omega-3 index increased 2.6% in the SG compared to 0.6% in the CG (P = 0.001). Both dietary interventions decreased phylum Firmicutes (SG and CG: P = 0.04) and increased E. coli concentrations (SG: P = 0.01, CG: P = 0.03) at the end of the study from baseline, whereas SG decreased Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio (P = 0.04) and increased Bacteroides-Prevotella (P = 0.004) compared to baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Although enriching diet with 100 g of sardines 5 days a week during 6 months to a type 2 diabetes standard diet seems to have neutral effects on glycemic control in drug-naïve patients with type 2 diabetes, this nutritional intervention could have beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk. Furthermore, both dietary interventions decreased HOMA-IR and altered gut microbiota composition of drug-naïve patients with type 2 diabetes

Detection of Prion Protein in Urine-Derived Injectable Fertility Products by a Targeted Proteomic Approach

BACKGROUND: Iatrogenic transmission of human prion disease can occur through medical or surgical procedures, including injection of hormones such as gonadotropins extracted from cadaver pituitaries. Annually, more than 300,000 women in the United States and Canada are prescribed urine-derived gonadotropins for infertility. Although menopausal urine donors are screened for symptomatic neurological disease, incubation of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is impossible to exclude by non-invasive testing. Risk of carrier status of variant CJD (vCJD), a disease associated with decades-long peripheral incubation, is estimated to be on the order of 100 per million population in the United Kingdom. Studies showing infectious prions in the urine of experimental animals with and without renal disease suggest that prions could be present in asymptomatic urine donors. Several human fertility products are derived from donated urine; recently prion protein has been detected in preparations of human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using a classical proteomic approach, 33 and 34 non-gonadotropin proteins were identified in urinary human chorionic gonadotropin (u-hCG) and highly-purified urinary human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG-HP) products, respectively. Prion protein was identified as a major contaminant in u-hCG preparations for the first time. An advanced prion protein targeted proteomic approach was subsequently used to conduct a survey of gonadotropin products; this approach detected human prion protein peptides in urine-derived injectable fertility products containing hCG, hMG and hMG-HP, but not in recombinant products. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The presence of protease-sensitive prion protein in urinary-derived injectable fertility products containing hCG, hMG, and hMG-HP suggests that prions may co-purify in these products. Intramuscular injection is a relatively efficient route of transmission of human prion disease, and young women exposed to prions can be expected to survive an incubation period associated with a minimal inoculum. The risks of urine-derived fertility products could now outweigh their benefits, particularly considering the availability of recombinant products

Automated synthesis of transmission lines loaded with complementary split ring resonators (CSRRs) and open complementary split ring resonators (OCSRRs) through aggressive space mapping (ASM)

This paper is focused on the application of space mapping optimization to the automated synthesis of transmission lines loaded with complementary split ring resonators (CSRRs) and open complementary split ring resonators (OCSRRs). These structures are of interest for the implementation of resonant-type metamaterial transmission lines and for the design of planar microwave circuits based on such complementary resonators. The paper presents a method to generate the layouts of CSRR- and OCSRR-loaded microstrip lines from the elements of their equivalent circuit models. Using the so-called aggressive space mapping, a specific implementation that uses quasi-Newton type iteration, we have developed synthesis algorithms that are able to provide the topology of these CSRR and OCSRR-loaded lines in few steps. The most relevant aspect, however, is that this synthesis process is completely automatic, i.e., it does not require any action from the designers, other than initiating the algorithm. Moreover, this technique can be translated to other electrically small planar elements described by lumped element equivalent circuit models.This work has been partially supported by MICIIN-Spain (Projects TEC2010-17512 METATRANSFER, TEC2010-21520-C04-01 AVANSAT, CONSOLIDER EMET CSD2008-00066, and Grant AP2008-04707), Generalitat de Catalunya (Project 2009SGR-421), and MITyC-Spain (Project TSI-020100-2010-169 METASINTESIS). Ferran Martin is in debt to ICREA for supporting his work through an ICREA Academia Award (calls 2008 and 2013).Selga, J.; Rodríguez Pérez, AM.; Orellana, M.; Boria Esbert, VE.; Martín, F. (2014). Automated synthesis of transmission lines loaded with complementary split ring resonators (CSRRs) and open complementary split ring resonators (OCSRRs) through aggressive space mapping (ASM). Applied Physics A. 117(2):557-565. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-014-8703-xS5575651172G.V. Eleftheriades, K.G. Balmain, Negative Refraction Metamaterials: Fundamental Principles and Applications (Wiley, New Jersey, 2005)C. Caloz, T. Itoh, Electromagnetic Metamaterials: Transmission Line Theory and Microwave Applications (Wiley, New Jersey, 2006)R. Marqués, F. Martín, M. Sorolla, Metamaterials with Negative Parameters: Theory, Design and Microwave Applications (Wiley, New Jersey, 2008)F. Martín, Artificial Transmission Lines for RF and Microwave Applications. (Wiley, New Jersey) (to be published)M.A. Antoniades, G.V. Eleftheriades, A broadband series power divider using zero-degree metamaterial phase shifting lines. IEEE Microw. Wirel. Compon. Lett. 15, 808–810 (2005)H. Okabe, C. Caloz, T. Itoh, A compact enhanced bandwidth hybrid ring using an artificial lumped element left handed transmission line section. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 52, 798–804 (2004)G. Sisó, J. Bonache, M. Gil, F. Martín, Application of resonant-type metamaterial transmission lines to the design of enhanced bandwidth components with compact dimensions. Microw. Opt. Technol. Lett. 50, 127–134 (2008)I.H. Lin, M. De Vincentis, C. Caloz, T. Itoh, Arbitrary dual-band components using composite right/left handed transmission lines. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 52, 1142–1149 (2004)A.C. Papanastasiou, G.E. Georghiou, G.V. Eleftheriades, A quad-band Wilkinson power divider using generalized NRI transmission lines. IEEE Microw. Wirel. Compon. Lett. 18, 521–523 (2008)M. Durán-Sindreu, G. Sisó, J. Bonache, F. Martín, Planar multi-band microwave components based on the generalized composite right/left handed transmission line concept. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 58(12), 3882–3891 (2010)J. Bonache, I. Gil, J. García-García, F. Martín, Novel microstrip band pass filters based on complementary split ring resonators. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 54, 265–271 (2006)M. Gil, J. Bonache, J. García-García, J. Martel, F. Martín, Composite right/left handed (CRLH) metamaterial transmission lines based on complementary split rings resonators (CSRRs) and their applications to very wide band and compact filter design. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 55, 1296–1304 (2007)S. Lim, C. Caloz, T. Itoh, Metamaterial-based electronically-controlled transmission line structure as a novel leaky-wave antenna with tunable angle and beamwidth. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 52(12), 2678–2690 (2004)G. Zamora, S. Zuffanelli, F. Paredes, F. Javier Herraiz-Martínez, F. Martín, J. Bonache, Fundamental mode leaky-wave-antenna (LWA) using slot line and split-ring-resonator (SRR) based metamaterials. IEEE Antennas Wirel. Propag. Lett. 12, 1424–1427 (2013)A.K. Iyer, G.V. Eleftheriades, Negative refractive index metamaterials supporting 2-D waves. in IEEE-MTT Int’l Microwave Symposium, vol 2, Seattle, WA, pp. 412–415 (2002)A.A. Oliner, A periodic-structure negative-refractive-index medium without resonant elements. In URSI Digest, IEEE-AP-S USNC/URSI National Radio Science Meeting, San Antonio, TX, pp. 41 (2002)C. Caloz, T. Itoh, Application of the transmission line theory of left-handed (LH) materials to the realization of a microstrip LH transmission line. in Proceedings of IEEE-AP-S USNC/URSI National Radio Science Meeting, vol 2, San Antonio, TX, pp. 412–415 (2002)F. Martín, F. Falcone, J. Bonache, R. Marqués, M. Sorolla, Split ring resonator based left handed coplanar waveguide. Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 4652–4654 (2003)F. Falcone, T. Lopetegi, M.A.G. Laso, J.D. Baena, J. Bonache, R. Marqués, F. Martín, M. Sorolla (2004) Babinet principle applied to the design of metasurfaces and metamaterials. Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, paper 197401M. Durán-Sindreu, A. Vélez, F. Aznar, G. Sisó, J. Bonache, F. Martín, Application of open split ring resonators and open complementary split ring resonators to the synthesis of artificial transmission lines and microwave passive components. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 57, 3395–3403 (2009)A. Vélez, F. Aznar, M. Durán-Sindreu, J. Bonache, F. Martín, Stop-band and band-pass filters in coplanar waveguide technology implemented by means of electrically small metamaterial-inspired open resonators. IET Microw. Antennas Propag. 4, 712–716 (2004)J.D. Baena, J. Bonache, F. Martín, R. Marqués, F. Falcone, T. Lopetegi, M.A.G. Laso, J. García, I. Gil, M. Flores-Portillo, M. Sorolla, Equivalent circuit models for split ring resonators and complementary split rings resonators coupled to planar transmission lines. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 53, 1451–1461 (2005)M. Gil, J. Bonache, J. Selga, J. García-García, F. Martín, Broadband resonant type metamaterial transmission lines. IEEE Microw. Wirel. Compon. Lett. 17, 97–99 (2007)M. Durán-Sindreu, P. Vélez, J. Bonache, F. Martín, Broadband microwave filters based on open split ring resonators (OSRRs) and open complementary split ring resonators (OCSRRs): improved models and design optimization. Radioengineering 20, 775–783 (2011)P. Vélez, J. Naqui, M. Durán-Sindreu, J. Bonache, F. Martín, Broadband microstrip bandpass filter based on open complementary split ring resonators. Int. J. Antennas Propag. 2012, 6 (2012)J.W. Bandler, R.M. Biernacki, S.H. Chen, P.A. Grobelny, R.H. Hemmers, Space mapping technique for electromagnetic optimization. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 42, 2536–2544 (1994)J.W. Bandler, R.M. Biernacki, S.H. Chen, R.H. Hemmers, K. Madsen, Electromagnetic optimization exploiting aggressive space mapping. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 43, 2874–2882 (1995)J.W. Bandler, Q.S. Cheng, S.A. Dakroury, A.S. Mohamed, M.H. Bakr, K. Madsen, J. Søndergaard, Space mapping: the state of the art. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 52, 337–361 (2004)C.G. Broyden, A class of methods for solving nonlinear simultaneous equations. Math. Comput. 19(92), 577–593 (1965)J. Selga, A. Rodríguez, V.E. Boria, F. Martín, Synthesis of split rings based artificial transmission lines through a new two-step, fast converging, and robust aggressive space mapping (ASM) algorithm. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 61(6), 2295–2308 (2013)A. Velez, F. Aznar, J. Bonache, M.C. Velázquez-Ahumada, J. Martel, F. Martín, Open complementary split ring resonators (OCSRRs) and their application to wideband CPW band pass filters. IEEE Microw. Wirel. Compon. Lett. 19, 197–199 (2009)D.M. Bates, D.G. Watts, Nonlinear Regression Analysis and Its Applications (Wiley, New York, 1998